What can I Tell my Kids about heaven

Are Groundhogs called Cloudhogs when they get to heaven?

Children have a ton of questions about heaven. I guess the same is true for all of us- it's a fascinating topic.

We live in a world that's broken, inhabited by people who are continuing to do things their way instead of following the guidebook for life. But ever since Adam and Eve moved out of the Garden of Eden, this world has been just a temporary home for humanity. The Bible tells us that this earth will be replaced with a new and improved, updated model when Jesus comes back at the end of this stage of world history.

Ever since the big move out of the Garden of Eden, we've all had a deep-seated desire for a perfect place to live, a perfect world; a desire for home. When we tell our children about how much God loves them and wants the best for them, the following question has to come up: "Why, then, are we living in this imperfect world polluted by hate, war, greed, and suffering?" We need to help our children understand that they'll live forever, and that their short stint here on earth is just the beginning of the awesome and wonderful plans God has for us. We may be stuck in an unfortunate stage of human history, but it's just for a short time when seen in the perspective of God's eternal plans for us.

Yes, God wants to give our children the best possible life here on earth. But we should help them look forward to the rest of their life, in eternity, where things will be incredible, where there will be no sadness, crying, war, death, or suffering, but only good and awesome experiences and opportunities. The hope for a better place and an eternity with God can give our children the extra encouragement they need to keep on doing things God's way, even when the going gets tough.

When we consier eternity with God and his plans for us as his children, the sixty or eighty or a hundred years spent here on earth hardly seem to deserve the attention we give them. But the years here are important, not because they're all there is, but because they're a preparation for and the beginning of an eternally growing relationship with God.